Two-part, self-setting compounds such as epoxies are typically mixed in the appropriate ratio amounts and then applied to the surface or part as desired. Since the compounds react or set-up in a given amount of time, it is necessary to mix only sufficient compound that can be used before it sets up too much to be applied. Accordingly, the use and application of these compounds is a tedious, slow and expensive proposition.
"Aquatapoxy A-5 (or A-6)" is a proprietary, two-part self-setting compound which is designed to be applied under water or to wet surfaces. The product hardens into a ceramic which is very resistive to chemical attack, smooth, hard, and difficult to break or chip. Aquatapoxy is manufactured by American Chemical Corp., St. Louis, Mo. This product has to date been difficult to use because it must be mixed and painted on surfaces to be coated. The two parts of the compound are each very thick, making their handling all the more difficult. Accordingly, Aquatapoxy and other water-resistant epoxies have not gained wide acceptance for use in sealing water leaks, particularly in underground pipes.
There are hundreds of thousands of miles of underground pipe in the United States alone. Many of those pipes carry water or liquid which, of course, should stay in the pipe and not leak into the surrounding ground. Those pipes, as well, should not be infiltrated by ground water. Accordingly, it is desirable and sometimes critical to maintain the integrity of the pipes along their length. This proves impossible in practice, however, due to corrosion and other factors which cause pipes to leak.
This has proven to be a particularly vexing problem for sewer pipes and water supply lines, many of which have degraded to the point where they now have to be fixed. The solutions for fixing the pipes to date have been either to dig up the pipe and replace it, which is inordinately expensive and can cause major disruption to traffic and city infrastructure, or to insert in the pipe a slightly smaller-diameter plastic pipe liner. This, too, requires access to the pipe at relatively closely spaced locations and so accordingly also requires a lot of digging. In addition, these liners are expensive and can be difficult to install. Accordingly, there is a great need for some means of relatively quickly and inexpensively sealing water leaks in pipes and other underground structures.